(smartshanghai.com)
Updated: 2008-04-22 17:13

One of Yunnan's specialties is "Crossing the bridge noodles" and Southern Barbarian's version is a decent standard. This is a subtle dish, and like Vietnamese Pho, should be appreciated for its delicate, fresh flavors. There are several versions on the menu, from 25 to 45rmb, depending on how many toppings you want.

We could list another 20 items on the menu here that we're excited about, but that would give us less space to talk about the beer selection. As a rule of thumb, anything with a picture on the English-language menu is a sure-fire hit, with the restaurant recommendations listed in bold font.

As for beer, I don't think there's a better selection in any Chinese restaurant in Shanghai. Along with the usuals, there's the entire selection of beers from the Craft Beer guys who've done a heroic job of bringing over some of the best American independent beers, like Acme and Rouge. In fact, on our recent visit, Southern Barbarian was just finishing up a new upstairs room that will serve as an extra dining space on busy weekends, and a beer tasting lounge on week days, with regular tasting events.

The one drawback we'd like to see improved at Southern Barbarian is some soft decor features to dampen the sound. With all hard surfaces, the noise can be a little jarring, and difficult to focus on your own table's conversation.

But the points lost there are regained with the gregarious charm of owner Mr. Feng. He's put a lot of energy and care into making the food quality the top priority, and he's always on hand making sure things are going smoothly in the house. After a couple visits, he's like an old friend. And guess what, he's got the best taste in music -- playing albums by Tom Waits, Johnny Cash, U2, Belle and Sebastian, and REM.

We wanted to try the new Rouge Hazelnut Beer from Oregon, but Mr. Feng said, "It's sold out. I drank it all, it's so good!" We trust a proprietor who loves his own stock as much as we do.!

Southern Barbarian
Phone 1362 1797 634
Address: Area E, 2/F Ju'Roshine Life Arts Space 56 Maoming Nan Lu or 169 Jinxian Lu (after 9pm use Jinxian Lu entrance)

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